Apple warns of the risks of AI agents on Macs and calls for more user education

Given the proliferation of independently acting AI agents, Apple wants to inform users of its Mac computers more about risks before they can give such software extensive access to their data. Some developers are using today's access options in a way that could reveal all the data on the devices, the company warned. That's why they want to make sure that everyone is aware of the dangers before they agree to data access for artificial intelligence.

The so-called AI agents are intended to autonomously carry out tasks for their users. AI companies say that their new agents can now do almost everything you do on a computer. To be truly useful in everyday life, they rely on deep access to their information - emails, chats, calendars, possibly even bank accounts.

“Full Disk Access”

Apple's Macs have an access option called "Full Disk Access", which grants extensive access to data on the hard drive. According to Apple, it was introduced so that backup programs that create backup copies of computers work smoothly.

Now developers of AI software are also resorting to it. As the skills and independence of AI agents grow, the associated risks would also increase, Apple said. Data access options are significantly more limited on iPhones and iPad tablets than on Macs.

In-house AI

At the same time, Apple is trying to make its assistance software Siri more useful with AI functions that should benefit from its access to user data on the devices. The company emphasizes that the data is only processed on the devices or transmitted with complete encryption, so that Apple also has no access to it.

The new AI Siri is initially only available in English - and in the EU only on Mac computers. When it comes to iPhones and iPads, Apple has so much market power according to the criteria of the DMA (Digital Markets Act) that equal data access is required for competitors as for Apple's own systems. Apple rejects this, citing data security, and preferred not to initially introduce the functions on these devices in the European Union.